pmiCME Continuing Medical Education Mission

Purpose

pmiCME provides physician-learners across a wide range of medical disciplines clinically-focused interactive continuing medical education (CME) that facilitates the translation of new medical guidelines, clinical information, and practice improvements from the researcher to the practitioner. pmiCME education is designed to improve physicians’ levels of competence in their area of specialty, performance-in-practice, and ultimately their patients’ care outcomes. pmiCME addresses the nation’s goals for high standards of physician competencies and practice attributes through educational activities targeted to the professional practice gaps of its learners, the use of innovative learning formats and technology that are interactive and reinforce educational outcomes by reaching across multiple types of educational platforms and learner touch-points so that the learner and educational experience remain connected and relevant to their practice needs over time.

Content

On an annual basis, pmiCME identifies and analyzes professional practice gaps of the over 300,000 clinical healthcare providers in the Pri-Med network located throughout the U.S. The identified gaps help inform and guide the development of educational curricula across multiple specialties, as well as the various collaborations designed to address the identified learner gaps. Working in partnership with many of the nation’s leading CME provider organizations, including medical societies, medical schools, and medical education communications companies, pmiCME has constructed a collaborative educational process which leverages the unique insights and expertise of each party, aimed to improve competence, performance-in-practice, and ultimately patient care.

Target Audience

pmiCME’s primary targeted learners are those physicians in the area of primary care medicine and other advanced level clinicians including nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists. Secondary targeted learners include physicians specializing in cardiology, endocrinology, and other allied healthcare professionals.

Types of Activities

Activities are designed to reach targeted learners utilizing several different modalities, including:

• National and regional-conducted live activities.
• Internet and mobile-based activities via a dedicated Pri-Med website and mobile application.
• On-demand programming through XM Satellite Radio.
• Social networking via Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

pmiCME uses advanced technologies including audience response systems, interactive social media tools, live patient simulation, case-based learning, and reflection and commitment to change processes. These tools support the development of engaging, relevant, and effective education.

Educational Outcomes

As an accredited provider with recognized leadership in measuring educational program effectiveness, pmiCME has an innovative and creative outcomes measurement process, with evidence of improvements in learner’s knowledge, competence and performance. The goal of pmiCME’s outcomes initiatives has been to assess how reinforced and persistent learning will drive change in clinical behavior. pmiCME has conducted outcomes analysis around more than 4,000 of pmiCME’s continuing medical educational (CME) programs across 75 disease states among more than 100,000 participants.

pmiCME tools enable us to measure a variety of educational outcomes including:

• Improvements in learner competence as determined by their ability to apply knowledge to practice.
• Improvements in performance-in-practice as determined by actual application of learning in practice.
• Improvements in patient health as determined by changes in actual outcomes.

The specific data collections tools and methodologies that are utilized depend on the specific educational activity and outcomes endpoints. Tools include:

• Pre/post-testing (immediate impact).
• Pre/post-testing and follow up, in-practice surveys (longer term impact).
• Commitment to change.
• In-depth learner phone interviews, post activity.
• Patient chart audits.
• Patient assessment surveys.

Collected data are assimilated, analyzed, and reviewed by multiple stakeholders who affect the overall CME Program. These stakeholders include:

• Course chairs
• Program planners
• pmiCME medical directors
• Faculty
• Content collaborators
• Accreditation and clinical staff
• Review committees including advisory boards and senior level interdepartmental representative

Learn more about pmiCME’s research on CME effectiveness.